#RKXL JAW BREAKING INTERVIEW WITH SOUTH AFRICAN METAL BAND “OCTANIUM”

RKXL has been on a hunt for rock/metal music around Africa and as you can see Nigeria has been set , so has kenya… Now we move to South Africa…..Fortunately we where able to grab some words with a South African metal band named “Octainium” and below was our chat up interview….. Enjoy 🙂

INTERVIEW.

RKXL:-Brief history of your band?

OCTAINIUM:-I (Maritz Booysen, Vocalist) founded Octainium, in Wales (UK) in 2006/2007 with a few guys from the area. I came up with the name, logo, and songs we used at the time and when I relocated, it was agreed that I continue with/ re-establish Octainium with new members when I wanted to, so when I moved back to RSA in 2008, I met up with my brother (Gert Booysen, Drummer) and a couple of other guys and we started Octainium in SA in Jan 2009. We went through a few member changes in the 5 years we’ve been together, also some musical growth and genre changes (it kinda started out as a Rock band, and we got a lot heavier over time). Here we are in 2014, with a 2nd studio album to be released very soon and it seems like our journey is only beginning now…

RKXL:-What inspired the band?

OCTAINIUM:-I always wanted to play in a band since I was a kid growing up on old-school rock (my dad used to play a lot of it in the car) and I knew it would be something I would love to do! Actually, I never really knew if I want to “join” a band or “start” a band until I lived in the UK. The Weather isn’t great over there- as many would know, so you either end up chilling at home or go out drinking, and not having money all the time I got quite bored- so I had a chat with some of my friends and said, hey- let’s start a band! I wrote my own songs since the age of 16 so I already had material; we just needed a name and a logo.

RKXL:-Why the name “OCTAINIUM”?

OCTAINIUM:-I definitely wanted to get a name, a 1-word name that resembles “Energy” somehow… So Steve (original vocalist) and I went on a “band name generator” site and typed in “Energy” and scrolled down the options. “Octane” came up (a combustible fluid of the highest Octane) and I thought “why not use this word, with the meaning and create a word that doesn’t really exist- we will know what it means and people can ask if they want to know… So “Octainium” it was… All to do with the “energy” derived from/ associated with “energetic” music.

RKXL:-What are your challenges, joys, pains and victories as a South African band?

OCTAINIUM:-Challenges: Going through every line-up change, having to work through the setback of getting tight with a new member. Not getting enough exposure in the local music scene (generic problem for most our “underground” bands) Unfortunately the metal scene in Gauteng is not as big as we would like and the turnout at some shows is not as big as we would like, it happens to all of us- it’s not nice, but we still play our balls off though…Joys: Being on stage at every single show we play, hearing positive feedback after a show or from someone who discovered our music, and doing what we do in general- you shouldn’t do it if you don’t enjoy it.Pains: Seeing all the hate on social media between bands, organizers, fans and venues- the scene is small enough, why not work together towards the bigger goal instead of bitching about any small thing all the time?Victories: Being nominated for 2 awards at the South African Metal Music Awards, winning a couple of battles of bands, being fortunate enough to be sponsored by Jägermeister South Africa, Bothner Music and Roto Sound and every single follower we gain along the way!

RKXL:-Describe your genre? Express what your musical style to us?

OCTAINIUM:-We play heavy music that all people can enjoy, even if they don’t really listen to heavy music. There are so many sub-genres of Metal that we can’t really pick one… We write riffs that we enjoy, we compose breakdowns in places where we feel it fits, we insert solos in some areas where it suits the song, I scream, I sing, I write about subjects that are frowned-upon at times, and other songs are personal- I suppose most people can relate to more than half the songs on each album from a lyrical standpoint. We play a style of heavy music that people can headbang to, sing along to, mosh to or just listen to. And we do the odd lighter ballad or “lesser-heavy” song.

RKXL:-Any album dropped .. or songs?

OCTAINIUM:--Yes, we released our debut album, “The Prophecy” in Nov 2011. It’s available for FREE at www.reverbnation.com/octainiumband/songs or at www.soundcloud.com/octainiumband– We did a rock/rap collaboration single, “Bullets” with CA$H last year, also available for free on the sites mentioned and the music video is on Youtube if you search for it.– Our 2nd full length album, “Suffer The Clock” is currently being mixed and will be released around mid-July this 2014. Keep your eye on www.facebook.com/octainium or follow @OctainiumSA to be kept in the loop

RKXL:-What is the latest and what are we to expect from yall?

OCTAINIUM:-The main thing in our lives is that we’re very excited about this forthcoming album! Can’t wait to hear the final product and share it with the good people of planet Earth once it is available! We are also planning to do a couple of mini tours to KZN and Cape Town shortly after the release of “Suffer The Clock” and we’re already playing more shows, more often now- we want to stay busy during the remainder of 2014 (who knows, maybe we can even arrange a Nigerian gig if all goes well!)

RKXL:-How do you handle stage performances and fans?

OCTAINIUM:-We try not to focus on the performance too much, we just enjoy ourselves at every show and the performance comes naturally. We really enjoy the energy the crowd gives, we really work off that- the crazier the fans are, the better the show all-round and everybody has a good time! We don’t believe in ego’s, we’re not nearly famous enough to even think about egos yet- we will always try our best to stay modest and down to earth, even if we catch a break and do some international touring. We’ll cherish our fans forever, try to hang out with everyone, chat where we can- because without them we are nothing and playing music would not be enjoyable at all!

RKXL:-Any awards or accolades to your name?

OCTANIUM:-We got nominated for 2 awards at the 1st annual “SAMMAS” earlier this year for “Best Hard-Rock/ Metal Band” and “Best Album” (for ‘The Prophecy’). Apart from that, we’ve won a couple of battles of bands over the years- the biggest one had a cash prize of R10 000 which we used to fund our 2012/2013 Cape Town Tour. Hopefully we WIN the loyalty of thousands of followers over the next few months after the release of our album- that would be a very valuable prize indeed!

RKXL:-I would love to know the bands you draw your inspirations from?

OCTAINIUM:-There are so many! My brother and I are both big fans of Gojira and Upon a Burning Body. Everyone in the band drew inspiration from bands like Killswitch Engage, As I lay Dying, In Flames, Devildriver, Lamb of God and many more! Our band members don’t all necessarily listen to the same bands, but all of us can agree on a good riff, song, breakdown, solo, interlude, etc- that’s what makes the writing process a little less frustrating, hahaha!

RKXL:-What are your dreams and goals?

OCTAINIUM:-Well, we’ve always had our eye on the international touring circuit as the ultimate goal… To be lucky enough to get the opportunity to play in many foreign countries to as many different cultures as possible! We do this because we enjoy it, if we become successful enough to earn a living from Octainium- then all of our dreams would have come true with everything that comes along with that success.

RKXL:-As we all know there is a recent growth in the appreciation of rock music in Africa.. do you think its here to stay or what do you think?

OCTAINIUM:-I think that it will take a few years for the African continent to really appreciate rock and metal like Europe and America does, but I must say that I’m very happy that it is finally getting a bit more attention than in the past! I really do hope it’s not just a phase and that it becomes an acceptable genre in all our communities!

RKXL:-Now you know there are othercountries in Africa like Nigeria, Kenya, Angola, Ghana who are gradually accepting the genre … have any future of a collabo or perhaps a tour or concert?

OCTAINIUM:-It’s really great to know that, I never knew that there was actually a demand for rock and/or metal in most African countries. Whenever an opportunity arises where Octainium can play outside the borders of South Africa- we would definitely jump to the occasion! We would love to play our part in opening up society’s mind to heavier music in all venues, towns, cities, provinces, countries, continents where we are welcomed!

RKXL:-Finally a word of advice to your fans around Africa and worldwide…!

OCTAINIUM:-Be a good human being. There’s enough hatred in this world, let’s all get along, crack a few jokes, laugh together, drink together and have a good time- at the expense of no one else!

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